Alpine ethnobotany in Italy: traditional knowledge of gastronomic and medicinal plants among the Occitans of the upper Varaita valley, Piedmont

A gastronomic and medical ethnobotanical study was conducted among the Occitan communities living in Blins/Bellino and Chianale, in the upper Val Varaita, in the Piedmontese Alps, North-Western Italy, and the traditional uses of 88 botanical taxa were recorded. Comparisons with and analysis of other ethnobotanical studies previously carried out in other Piemontese and surrounding areas, show that approximately one fourth of the botanical taxa quoted in this survey are also known in other surrounding Occitan valleys. It is also evident that traditional knowledge in the Varaita valley has been heavily eroded. This study also examined the local legal framework for the gathering of botanical taxa, and the potential utilization of the most quoted medicinal and food wild herbs in the local market, and suggests that the continuing widespread local collection from the wild of the aerial parts of Alpine wormwood for preparing liqueurs (Artemisia genipi, A. glacialis, and A. umbelliformis) should be seriously reconsidered in terms of sustainability, given the limited availability of these species, even though their collection is culturally salient in the entire study area

A Agroecologia na Escola Família Agrícola de Itaquiraí, em Mato Grosso do Sul.

bitstream/item/66246/1/31208.pdfOrganizado por: Alberto Feiden, Milton Parron Padovan, Adalgiza Inês Campolim, Aurélio Vinícius Borsato, Ivo de Sá Motta, João Batista Catto, Tércio Jacques Fehlauer

Ethnobotanical remarks on Central and Southern Italy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The present paper is a brief survey on the ethnobotanical works published by the Authors since 1981, concerning the research carried out in some southern and central Italian regions. Before Roman domination these territories were first inhabited by local people, while the southern areas were colonized by the Greeks. These different cultural contributions left certain traces, both in the toponyms and in the vernacular names of the plants and, more generally, in the culture as a whole.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Field data were collected through open interviews, mainly of farmers, shepherds and elderly people, born or living in these areas for a long time. Voucher specimens of collected plants are preserved in the respective herbaria of the Authors and in the herbarium of "Roma Tre" University. Important contributions have been made by several students native to the areas under consideration. A comparative analysis with local specific ethnobotanical literature was carried out.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The paper reports several examples concerning human and veterinary popular medicine and in addition some anti-parasitic, nutraceutic, dye and miscellaneous uses are also described. Moreover vernacular names and toponyms are cited. Eight regions of central and southern Italy (particularly Latium, Abruzzo, Marche and Basilicata) were investigated and the data obtained are presented in 32 papers. Most of the species of ethnobotanical interest have been listed in Latium (368 species), Marche (274) and Abruzzo (203). The paper also highlights particularly interesting aspects or uses not previously described in the specific ethnobotanical literature.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Phyto-therapy in central and southern Italy is nowadays practised by a few elderly people who resort to medicinal plants only for mild complaints (on the contrary food uses are still commonly practised). Nowadays therapeutic uses, unlike in the past, are less closely or not at all linked to ritual aspects. Several plants deserve to be taken into consideration not only from the anthropological or cultural point of view, but also for further phyto-chemical investigation. Our studies, as well as those of other authors, try to provide an original picture of the local ethno-biodiversity.</p

Imidazolium-based ionic liquid silica xerogel as catalyst to transform CO2 into cyclic carbonate

In this work silica xerogel samples containing different imidazolium ILs (EMIM-CF3SO3, EMIM-MSO3, BMIM-Cl, MBMIM-TF2N, BMIM-TF2N and EMIM-TF2N) were synthesized, characterized and used as catalyst in cyclic carbonate synthesis. ILs mass percentage was varied from 5% to 25%. The effect fostered by the ILs mass variation in the synthesis of silica xerogel was observed both in the materials characterization as well as in the performance of these materials as solid catalysts in the cyclic carbonate synthesis from the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with propylene epoxide. The obtained silica xerogel samples (SXs) were characterized by FTIR, RAMAN, TGA, SEM and TEM. The selectivity of the cycloaddition reaction was analyzed by GC and 1H and 13C NMR. The best results were obtained for SX-EMIM MSO3 (20% of IL) and SX-BMIM Cl (15% of IL) with propylene carbonate yields of 91.4% and 83.4% and selectivities &gt;99% and 97.4% respectively

The upgrade of the control and data acquisition system of RFXMod2

RFX-mod2 is an upgrade of RFX-mod that will use a modified shell and mechanical structure in order to enhance plasma-shell proximity and therefore to improve plasma control. The Control and Data Acquisition System for most of the plant systems and diagnostics previously used in RFX-mod will be refurbished, while others will be completely re-built. The most important component that will be completely renewed is the ElectroMagnetic probe (EM) data acquisition system, where a new architecture based on XILINX Zynq FPGA will be used to carry out at the same time both high-speed data acquisition and resampled data streaming for active plasma control. The use of MDSplus will be retained in RFX-mod2, while the MARTe framework used for real-time plasma control will be replaced by MARTe2, a new framework developed under strict software quality standards. Plant control in RFX-mod2 will be supervised by WinCC-OA, replacing the previous FactoryLink SCADA systems. Older plant systems such as vacuum control based on outdated S5 PLCs will be updated and will use OPC-UA for communication with the supervisory control system

Risk and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in breast cancer patients undergoing a structured infection screening program at the University and Hospital Trust of Verona

No abstract available; Lette

Nivolumab in Combination with Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Pretreated Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma. Results of the Phase II NIVES Study

Background: Nivolumab showed an overall survival (OS) benefit in pretreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). The role of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in mRCC remains to be defined. Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SBRT in combination with nivolumab in second- and third-line mRCC patients. Design, setting, and participants: The NIVES study was a phase II, single-arm, multicenter trial in patients with mRCC with measurable metastatic sites who progressed after antiangiogenic therapy, of whom at least one was suitable for SBRT. Intervention: The patients received SBRT to a lesion at a dose of 10 Gy in three fractions for 7 d from the first infusion of nivolumab. Nivolumab was given at an initial dose of 240 mg every 14 d for 6 mo and then 480 mg q4-weekly in responding patients. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: We hypothesized that nivolumab plus SBRT improves the objective response rate (ORR) compared with nivolumab alone from 25% (derived from historical controls) to 40%. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), OS, disease control rate (DCR) of irradiated and nonirradiated metastases, and safety. Results and limitations: Sixty-nine patients were enrolled from July 2017 to March 2019. The ORR was 17% and the DCR was 55%. The median PFS was 5.6 mo (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9\u20137.1) and median OS 20 mo (95% CI, 17\u2013not reached). After 1.5 yr of follow-up, 23 patients died. The median time to treatment response was 2.8 mo and median duration of response was 14 mo. No new safety concerns arose. Conclusions: We did not find sufficient evidence to suggest that nivolumab in combination with SBRT provides an added benefit in pretreated mRCC patients; it should however be evaluated in patients with oligometastatic or oligoprogressive disease. Patient summary: Nivolumab in combination with stereotactic body radiotherapy does not provide evidence of increased outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients. However this approach was safe and showed a good response of the irradiated lesions

Subpopulation Treatment Effect Pattern Plot (STEPP) analysis of Ki67 assay according to histology: Prognostic relevance for resected early stage 'pure' and 'mixed' lobular breast cancer

Background: The aim of this analysis was to investigate the potential impact of Ki67 assay in a series of patients affected by early stage invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) undergone surgery. Methods: Clinical-pathological data were correlated with disease-free and overall survival (DFS/OS). The maximally selected Log-Rank statistics analysis was applied to the Ki67 continuous variable to estimate appropriate cut-offs. The Subpopulation Treatment Effect Pattern Plot (STEPP) analysis was performed to assess the interaction between 'pure' or 'mixed' histology ILC and Ki67. Results: At a median follow-up of 67 months, 10-years DFS and OS of 405 patients were 67.8 and 79.8 %, respectively. Standardized Log-Rank statistics identified 2 optimal cut-offs (6 and 21 %); 10-years DFS and OS were 75.1, 66.5, and 30.2 % (p = 0.01) and 84.3, 76.4 and 59 % (p = 0.003), for patients with a Ki67 &lt; 6 %, between 6 and 21 %, and &gt;21 %, respectively. Ki67 and lymph-node status were independent predictor for longer DFS and OS at the multivariate analysis, with radiotherapy (for DFS) and age (for OS). Ki67 highly replicated at the internal cross-validation analysis (DFS 85 %, OS 100 %). The STEPP analysis showed that DFS rate decreases as Ki67 increases and those patients with 'pure' ILC performed worse than 'mixed' histology. Conclusions: Despite the retrospective and exploratory nature of the study, Ki67 was able to significantly discriminate the prognosis of patients with ILC, and the effect was more pronounced for patients with 'pure' ILC